Cheesy Baked Pasta

Vegetarian Kids Get Together Special

Quick Pasta for Quick Friends Over!

Cheesy Baked Pasta

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

Rigatoni Pasta- 1 Packet

Water-

Milk- 1/2 Litre Pack of Nestle

Bayleaf- 1 No.

Rosemary-a Sprig

Butter- 2 Tbsp./100 Gms.

All Purpose Flour-2 Tsp.

Salt- To Taste

Nutmeg- Freshly Grated

Cheddar Cheese- Freshly Grated

Gruyere Cheese- Freshly Grated

Canned Corn-

Frozen Peas-

Black Pepper Powder- Freshly Powdered

Mozzarella- Freshly Grated

Method: 

In a Deep Bottomed Pot, Boil Water with Salt

Put the Pasta in Boiling Water, Cover & Let it Simmer on Medium Flame for about 6-7 Minutes

Check on the Pasta, Drain & Let it Cool

For White Sauce:

In a SaucePot, Boil Milk

Put Bayleaf & Rosemary in it While the Milk Boils

In A Wide Pan, Heat Butter

Put Flour & Whisk

Strain the Rosemary Flavored Milk into this

Add Salt, Nutmeg, Cheddar & Whisk till the Sauce Thickens

Add Corn, Peas, Black Pepper Powder & Whisk

In a Baking Dish, Put the Drained Pasta & Pour the White Sauce on it

On top of the Pasta, Add the Mozzarella & Gruyere Cheese

Mix Well & Add some More Cheese!

Check the Pasta to see the Golden Crust on Top of the Baked Pasta & it is Ready to Serve

Garnish with Parsley & Serve Hot!

Tip:

Any Large Tube Pasta like Rigatoni is much liked by the Kids, so please Go Ahead & Have Fun Cooking for the Kids!

To Check if Pasta is Cooked, Check if it Rises & the Color Changes

The Pasta doesn't need to be Completely Cooked as it would be Baked in the Oven for 20 Minutes

The Base of this Pasta is called the 'Béchamel/Bravo Sauce'or Simply the White Sauce

For White Sauce, Nutmeg is an Essential Flavoring Agent

Cheddar is a Neutral Cheese, so can be used for a lot of Indian Dishes as well!

Frozen Peas can be used Straight into the Pan as it would Cook while it's Baked

The Baking Dishes can be Either Ceramic, Glass or Steel 

 

While it is Hot, the Gruyere Cheese Melts Evenly, so this Cheese is Melted & can be Used as a Dip for Vegetables, Bread Pieces, Fruits etc.

Gruyere Cheese Blends in with Almost All the Dishes like Potatoes, Pasta & this Cheese is Used for a Popular Swiss Dish called Fondue that is Traditionally made with Swiss & Gruyere Cheese.

Some Replacements for the Fondue are Emmental, Smoked Gouda, Alouette & Asiago Cheese etc.

Feel free to share your views & do let us know how this one turned out :)

Ecstasy @ Chennai

Ecstasy- Mickaël Besse located @ Sathyam Cinemas Chennai  
An International Patisserie

Flak is a Rich Caramel-Milk Chocolate Mousse on a Feuilletine Leaf or a Ferrero Rocher Crust with Chocolate Glaze

Praline

Ghana Chocolate Mousse with Apricot Puree & Gianduja

Some other Desserts to try out are Creme Brule, Tiramisu, Le Chocolatier (a rich preparation with 70% Cocoa), Blueberry Soufflé (is made with Ingredients from Belgium), Mikata (is a Rose-based Mousse with Pistachios and flattened Figs), Poc (has Flavours of Cardamom & Apple) & Tout Chocalat
Blueberry Cheesecake, Black Forest Cake (with just a Hint of Rum), Liqourice Raspberry Tartlet (has an Almond Short Crust Pastry filled with Raspberry-Liquorice Ganache & Served with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream), White Chocolate Mousse etc.

The Desserts are displayed on the Menu as "On Display, Plated, & Drinking Desserts"

Other Specialties like Frozen Cheesecakes, Crepes, Hot Chocolate, Milkshakes, Soft Beverages, Fresh Juices, Teas & Coffees are also there

There were a few Egg less options as well which we had tried when we went

Feel free to share your views & do let us know of Quality Bakeries/Cafe/Restaurants in your area :)

Fresh Coconut Dip/Chutney

South Indian Vegetarian Dips Special
Andhra/Kannada/Tamil Cuisine
Fresh Coconut Dip/Chutney
Serves 2

Ingredients:

Fresh Coconut- 1 Cup, cut into half inch long pieces
(Hindi- Nariyal, Kannada- Kayi, Tamil- Thengai, Telugu- Kobbari)


Roasted Skinless Bengal Gram/Chana Dal- 2 Tbsp. (Hindi- Bhuna Chana/Chutney Dal/Daria Dal, Kannada- Hurgadle, Telugu- Putnala Pappu, Tamil- Pottu Kadalai)
Green Chillies- (optional)
Fresh Coriander Leaves-
Salt- to taste


For Tempering:
Oil-
Chana Dal-
Urad Dal-
Mustard Seeds-
Cumin Seeds-
Hing-
Curry Leaves-
Dried Red Chillies- broken

Can be prepared without Coriander which looks Pale Cream like below:

Tips:





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Split Black Gram Fritters (Chilkewali Urad Dal Medu Vada/Garelu)

Indian Vegetarian Snacks Special

Indian Festive Season Special

Andhra/Tamil Nadu Cuisine

Skinned Split Black Gram Fritters (Chilkewali Urad Dal Medu Vada/Garelu)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Skinned Black Gram (Chilkewali Urad Dal)- 1 Cup

Water- 2 Cup

Onion- 1, Finely Chopped

Green Chillies- 5, Finely Chopped

Extra Light Olive Oil/Olive Pomace Oil- For Deep Frying

Salt- To Taste

Curry Leaves- Few Sprigs

Fresh Coriander Leaves- 4 Tbsp., Finely Chopped

Method:

Clean, Wash & Soak the Urad Dal with Enough Water for about 2 Hours

Preferably in Wet Grinder for Authentic Taste, Grind the Dal into a Thick Paste 

Sprinkle Little/No Water as this would be required for Grinding the Dal Easily

Mix the Chopped Onion, Chopped Green Chillies, Chopped Coriander Leaves & Salt in the Dal Paste

Heat Oil in a Wide Mouthed Non Stick Pan

Wet the Front of the Milk Packet with Water & take a Small Portion of the Dal Paste in the Centre of the Mil Packet

Make a Hole exactly in the Centre & Gently Drop the Prepared Doughnut Shaped Fritter in Hot Oil from the Side of the Pan

Fry in Medium Flame till the Fritters turn Golden Brown & Crispy

Drain from the Oil & Put on a Plate with Absorbent Paper to Absorb the Extra Oil

Serve Hot with Traditional Andhra Ginger Pickle/Tomato Pickle/Coconut Chutney!

Tips:

Skinned Black Gram (Urad Dal/Menapappu) is Tradtionally Eaten on the 3rd Day of the 4-Day 'Makar Sankranti' known as 'Kanuma', so take this Day as a Great Reason to Feast on this Indian Delicacy!

This is a Healthier Version of the Traditional Medu Vadas where Urad Dal with Skin is used to enrich Fibre in the Diet making it Lighter & a little more Guilt Free :)!!

Another Method to Prepare the Vadas is to Wet Palm & Take a Small Portion of the Dal Paste in the Centre of the Palm & Follow the Same Procedure as Above

Also, the Coconut Chutney Recipe follows in the next post..

Variations:

Traditionally the Fritters are made from (Urad Dal without Skin) following the same method as above

Alternatively, Cumin Seeds & Freshly Ground Black Pepper Powder is added to the Vadas

Feel free to share your views & do let us know how this one turned out :)

Spicy Black Pepper, Rice & Lentil Preparation (Khara Pongal)

Indian Vegetarian Season Special

Tamil Nadu/Andhra Cuisine

Spicy Black Pepper, Rice & Lentil Preparation (Khara Pongal)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Rice-
Lentil-
Ghee-
Black Pepper-

Method:

Tips:

Variations:

Feel free to share your views & do let us know how this one turned out :)